Dysfunctional Love
by Candy Yum-Yum
Summary: A prequel to my unfinished story, Interesting Anatomy. The bud that was their slight interest in each other soon blossomed into something dangerously beautiful. Unfortunately, all flowers wilt and die, their attraction short-lived but never forgotten. Take a look into the destructive relationship between Ember and Eustass Kid years before she crossed paths with Law. Kid x OC


**A/N: Although my other story is a chapter or two away from completion, I could'nt help but upload this despite the promise to myself that I would wait until Interesting Anatomy was finished. **

**For those who haven't read Interesting Anatomy, there is no important information to catch up on or anything. This is simply a more in depth look into the history between my OC and Kid which was occasionally mentioned in my other story. She's no mary-sue I assure you but if you feel differently please let me know in a review so I can tweak her design to make her character more enjoyable.  
**

**This story is rated M for intimate scenes (lots of them) and Kid's potty mouth.**

**I do hope you enjoy :)**

Eustass Kid had always been a loud, expressive man. Sharing his constant state of rage with all who surrounded him, his wrath repelled anyone with the potential of adding to his irritation. Pillaging and fighting were just several activities on his long list of favorite destructive pastimes, always striving to beat his latest body count record.

So one can only imagine the internal struggle that began to brew, as Kid's pit stop was Sabaody Archipelago

Civilian or pirate, Sabaody was not the place to draw attention to yourself when there was a heavy infestation of marines and bounty hunters bred into the corrupt system that affected life in the mangrove. Kid wanted nothing more than to reduce the town into a pile of burning cinders but it was best to handle your business in an in-and-out fashion, as it wasn't all so wise to spend more time than needed there. Right now, the priority was to shop for supplies while the ship gets its coating of resin before making departure, or as Eustass Kid bluntly puts it, "Get Shit and Get Out".

Kid didn't fear the potential dangers and his violent nature itched for some trouble but even he knew better than to bite off more than he could chew. Kid's first mate however, wasn't too sure of his captain's ability to keep a low profile, which lead to the return of "Momma Killer" a role he usually had no choice but to take when it came to babysitting Kid and his short temper.

_"Kid, please be patient."_

_"People are going to stare, Kid. You're a criminal after all."_

_"Let the waiter go, Kid. He didn't drop the glass on purpose."_

_"Don't even think about it, Kid"_

Don't do this, don't do that, it was no wonder why Kid had to give his first mate the slip, finding refuge from his nagging mother in a shabby pub. Alcohol seemed a decent enough reward for maintaining such good behavior.

Despite there only being about a handful of people, Kid sat himself in the darkest corner in the establishment, away from the potential triggers that were the inebriates of the bar who's drunken overconfidence may have led them to believe they are capable of taking on a Supernova. As he gave his order to a barmaid, he noticed a drunkard pestering a lonely woman at her stool and was grateful that he wasn't the target for once.

"Barkeep tells me you're a regular here and can do a trick or two with your drinks. Care to show me?"

The woman smiled at the man with mild interest. "Buy me a round of shots and I'll consider it."

The man nods his consent at the bartender and he gets to work on fulfilling the request, delivering several shot glasses of top shelf liquor.

The female releases a little puff of breath that ignites the liquid's surface with a dancing flame before swallowing it down with the slightest tilt of her head, eyes never leaving the man who along with Kid, watched with great interest.

"So you can breathe fire. Heh, I wonder how hot your mouth would feel around my cock when I ram it down your throat."

Kid snorted to himself in his corner. He was not one for courtship but even he knew how to bed a lady better than this man.

The woman frowned slightly, not amused by the tasteless pass at her. "A couple of shots isn't going to get me in bed with you."

"So how many more until it does?" He asks with a crooked grin.

The female throws one of the drinks in his face, a typical defense from a woman getting unwanted attention at a pub, but Kid's interest peaked when she added her own personal twist.

"You better hope I don't have the urge to sneeze, otherwise I may accidentally set you on fire." She said with a hint of suppressed laughter in her voice.

The man was fuming to the point where the alcohol could evaporate off his skin. "I only wanted to bed you to do my good deed of the day and make a pathetic looking girl like you feel somewhat attractive. I mean look at you!"

Kid took a gander to see what he was referring to. The girl wore baggy black harem pants with a ridiculously oversized sweater. It wasn't a bad look, but since it didn't match up to societies expectations of clothes women 'should' wear, which was next to nothing, it was automatically deemed unappealing apparently. Other than that, Kid really didn't see a problem with her appearance and immediately assumed the alcohol has simply made the man stupid.

"I don't need anyone to make me feel attractive. I purposely dress this way to avoid this type of attention but that didn't seem to work today, now did it?" She said with some disappointment.

"I see, so you're hiding the good stuff underneath all this fabric. Let's take a looksee."

The man whipped out a knife and Kid smirked. Looks like he was about to get some free entertainment with his drinks.

He watched for the reaction of the little lady who didn't seem to be scared at all, but her face did hold some concern as to how she could diffuse the situation. A real whiney broad would have immediately shrieked for help, getting the marines to protect her but did no such thing.

It soon became clear to Kid that this woman had something to hide. Why else would she avoid getting the attention of law enforcement? What a smart girl.

Her reflexes were fast but just a couple of inches more would have allowed her to fully evade the man's grasp. He caught a fistful of her sweater and tore a huge slice from collar to hem until it fell into a tattered bunch at her feet. Luckily what the man found underneath had stunned him momentarily.

Black leather wings wrapped around herself before Kid was able to catch a glimpse of lacey bra that contained the goods. Kid expressed little surprise; he's seen stranger shit than this throughout his travels and a peculiar Devil Fruit usually had something to do with it a majority of the time. So that's what the oversized sweater was for, to conceal her wings. If that was the case, Kid wondered what lay hidden beneath her pants.

The patrons of the bar watched the event unfold before them but did nothing to help the situation. Kid wasn't at all surprised. Why get involved and run the risk of being automatically associated with a situation you were simply trying to resolve? That was Sabaody for you. Just get thrown in the brig, questions asked seldom or never.

"You freaky little bitch! And to think I was trying to sleep with you!"

The drunkard went to slice her this time and the woman quickly jumped to the side with a speed that would have been considered impressive if she didn't tumble over some chairs in the process.

The girl had some skills, Kid had to give her that but she was clumsy and uncoordinated, as if she wasn't in full control of herself.

_A Devil Fruit user new to her powers._

Kid remembered all too well of his days as a new fruit user and the countless hours spent getting a feel for his newly acquired abilities. It took him a week straight to learn how to turn that steel rod into a pretzel and to this day that achievement is still under his list of greatest accomplishments.

The man went for her legs, trying to get a good grip so he could drag her across the floor but the kicking from his victim wasn't helping with the process. Holding on as much as he could, the more she kicked, the more her pants began to slip down.

He pulled them down all the way, hoping the kicks would cease if the garment were to be bunched at her ankles but the attacker only saw stars as a thick black tail went and smacked his head into the bar's side with a loud _thwack_.

Kid could hear the growing murmurs as people whispered back and forth about the strange girl before them. It irritated Kid; how cowardly could you be to not express your opinions out loud?

The girl flopped onto her stomach in an attempt to crawl away exposing her back to the man that was quickly recovering from the head injury. Taking his knife, he went to jam it straight through her spine, which was when Kid had no choice but to intervene.

There was nothing more cowardly than an attack from behind, something Eustass Kid had zero tolerance for.

It was as if the knife was jammed into some invisible object, as it would not budge from mid-plunge in the air. The man grasped the handle, trying to unsheathe his mini Excalibur from its invisible rock and instead of pulling it towards him, the man soon fought to pull it away from him as the knife flipped its tip to him on its own will.

Kid grinned sadistically from his dark corner, his fingers controlling the knife like a marionette. With a flick of his wrist, the knife rammed itself up under its owner's jaw, killing him instantly in the most gruesome manner.

With the spill of blood and loss of a life, patrons and employees scrambled out of the bar in sheer terror, the swinging door filling the silence in the room as the last person bustled through it.

The woman stood to pull up her pants only to see a huge rip down one of the legs. "Dammit, these were my favorite."

At least she wasn't whining about the ordeal she had just experience or else Kid might have had to add to the body count.

Speaking of which, it was probably best for him to leave the scene before word spread that a man "killed himself" and those assholes came to investigate. At least Kid made it look somewhat of a suicide. Hopefully his name could be kept off the table when it came to rounding up suspects.

The sound of his chair shuffling caught the female's attention and found him emerging from the shadows. "Eustass Captain Kid? Where you in here the whole time?"

Kid's pride always swells without fail when complete strangers can identify him without an introduction. Looks like his angry mug had been growing in popularity.

He should be making his getaway but the light stroke to his ego caused him to stay and chat in hopes of finding out what people have been thinking of him so far as a rookie pirate. "That's right. And who or what are you supposed to be? Some kind of bat?"

She stifled a laugh from how far off he was. "My name is Ember and I think I'm supposed to be some type of dragon."

She had got to be kidding. _She doesn't know what her Zoan animal is?_

"New to the Devil Fruit game, huh?"

"Been playing for a couple months now. Not too sure how I'm liking it."

Kid stepped over the body to reach for the one of her untouched shot glasses at the bar. Good liquor should never be wasted.

"Gotta practice." he says before taking a swig, the liquid causing mild surprise as it slid over his tongue. _Girl likes her booze strong._

"How much practice did it take for you to learn how to stab people with their own weapons? Thanks by the way."

"Che,"was all he managed with a smirk. So the girl knew of his powers too. Kid wondered if that tidbit of himself was common knowledge around town or anywhere else for that matter.

Panic filled voices grew louder as the witnesses of what just happened began to lead some nearby marines to the crime scene. They needed to get the hell out before those bastards burst in and find himself along with his new acquaintance exchanging pleasantries around the dead body. That sight alone would not help their case at all.

"You wanna get captured that's fine by me but I plan on getting the fuck out of here whether you tag along or not." He said with some impatience.

"With ripped pants and no shirt, I'm going to catch unwanted attention." She said while crossing her arms to cover her full chest.

Kid growled. Women: such insecure creatures. She did have a valid point however. Marines are going to be looking for a woman with wings and a tail as described by the people who witnessed the incident.

Why did he even bother concerning himself with her dilemma? Kid attributed it to the constant state of good behavior he was forced to maintain.

Kid shrugged of his great fur coat and thrust it at her. "Cover up your extra bits so we can get the hell out of this shit hole."

Her eyes quickly looked over the garment, slightly appalled by its appearance. "The purpose is to _not_ draw attention to myself, Eustass."

Kid growled, his irritation mounting and the use of his first name didn't help either. "You tryin' to say I got bad taste?"

Ember huffed and shrugged it on as to not add to his agitation. The coat was heavy and overwhelming on her feminine frame, practically swallowing her whole but it did its intended job. Before following Kid out the door, she hopped over and behind the bar.

"Dammit woman, stop wasting time so we can the fuck out." Kid shouted. He would have simply left her ass to get captured by the Marines if it wasn't for the fact that she now wore his favorite coat.

She clumsily emerged from the bar, carrying several bottles of booze in her arms while the deep pockets of his coat bulged with several more. "Good liquor should never be wasted," she said with a grin of pearly white fangs.

Kid stiffened as she recited one of his exact thoughts from before. Looks like they were on the same page after all. He gave her a mischievous smirk. "Damn straight."

They escaped through the back exit, taking refuge in a dark ally as a group of marines rushed passed. When the coast was clear, they left the safety of the shadows and continued down the opposite direction, doing their best to conceal their identities while looking as inconspicuous as possible.

An arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulder, pulling her so flush against him that her cheek was pressed into the side of his torso as Kid used his hulking frame to conceal her as best he could. He kept his eyes on the ground, occasionally adverting them to look down at the shiny black hair.

Despite being a man constantly fuming with rage, Ember noticed the pale skin was cool and hard, like a slab of smooth marble and wondered if he could have been possibly crafted from it, his muscles chiseled to perfection like a fine work of art.

Ember laughed mentally at the idea of Eustass Kid as art. Perhaps an abstract piece, considering his eccentric appearance but no matter the genre, he came with a hefty bounty of 315 million berries, priced like a true, one of a kind painting.

"Although I enjoy being smothered by you, it would be nice to know where exactly we are going."

"My ship." Kid grumbled flatly.

Ember attempted to dig her heels into the ground to prevent herself from proceeding any further but the strong arm behind her continued to push her along, leaving long streaks in the dirt path. "Excuse me?"

"If you prefer hiding under a rock until these assholes give up, then by all means, go." Kid growled at her. "Besides, there's someone on my crew that needs to meet you."

"Needs?"

Kid sighed, not exactly used to explaining himself to anyone. "Yeah, 'needs'. It's cause'…argg! Just shut up and follow me before I decide to feed you to these government dogs!"

Kid was pleased to see how that seemed to gain her cooperation and from that moment on, proceeded to lead the way to his ship, pushing along a reluctant Ember.

Ember paused before the vessel that bobbed gently at its dock and Kid caught the brief grimace that contorted her face, taking great offense. "You got a problem with my ship?"

Ember's eyes skimmed over the ship's appearance that seemed to mirror it's captain's outrageous personality. Adorned with skulls, bones and other possibly haunted items alike, it seemed more like a place to perform an exorcism rather than a vessel to travel the seas in but she knew better than to give her honest opinion to the temperamental owner. "Not at all." She lied.

Climbing on aboard after Kid, a masked man soon stormed towards them, anger radiating like a furnace stuck on high. "Goddammit Kid! This is exactly the reason why I have to babysit your troublesome ass! Could you have at least waited until the coaters were done before causing a scene?"

"Not a fucking clue as to what you're babbling about, Killer." Kid mumbled with disinterest, finding his fingernails to be much more interesting than his crewmate's concern.

A palm slapped against the striped helmet in frustration, sliding down with a soft squeak. "A man doesn't just stab himself with a knife, Kid. The whole grove is in a frenzy and now they're on the hunt trying to find out the truth behind the incident."

"As long as they don't suspect me, then it's not a problem and if they did, it still wouldn't be a problem. Now quit your whining, I heard enough from your mouth today."

"Captain or not, if they send an admiral our way because of you, I'm leaving your ass behind," Killer warned. He tilted his head as he became aware of Kid's new acquaintance. "Who's the broad?"

Kid looked over his shoulder, as if forgetting she was even with him. "Her names Ember, an interesting friend I found for Heat."

"For who?" she asked, but Kid barely heard her over Killer's laughter.

Kid growled, pointing over to the crewmate in question before Killer could blow the cover. "That creepy fucker over there. Just go talk to him, while I set Killer straight."

Ember gave him a suspicious look and surprisingly, went over to the dreadlocked man, needing a break from the overwhelming personality that was Kid.

When she was out of earshot, the redhead quickly grabbed Killer by the collar, resisting the urge to shake him into a concussion. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

"Kid, c'mon. Heat's already come to terms with that fact that he's never going to get laid looking like he does. Stop trying to help him."

"I ain't trying to help him get laid, although that would be a plus. I found this dame at a bar. She's a freak herself with a similar ability to Heat and then some. Thought it would do the bastard some good."

Killer chuckled. "Aren't you the thoughtful one?"

"Tch, see what happens when you force me on good behavior? It's like a damn disease."

* * *

The Kid Pirates had set sail at sunset and by the time the island had fully disappeared behind them, stars had already blanketed the night sky.

The deck was bathed in the soft glow of hanging gas lamps, illuminating the crowd that drank into the late night on the deck, drunken laughter echoing across the vast ocean waters. The rail, barrels, supply crates, the floor, even the skull centerpiece, whatever space was available was made into a comfortable perch to sit.

The skull centerpiece located at the ship's tip was always the spot of Captain Kid and the occasional of Killer, when Kid allowed it of course. Kid claimed this spot as his own because it was the only one on the ship that granted him the view of the deck in its entirety, allowing him to keep a watchful eye on everyone's activity. Too many drunken incidents of crewmembers falling overboard had eventually earned Kid's cautious awareness.

Speaking of activity, Kid had the perfect view of Heat and Ember, who were sitting atop supply crates, pouring shots and entertaining the other crewmembers. Kid was pleased to see how well they had gotten along, as he knew they would and mentally checked off his good deed of the day.

"One more time Heat!"

"You too, Em!"

Crewmates from all corners of the ship cheered them on, begging to see the fire trick that didn't seem to be getting old any time soon.

Ember and Heat both blew a gust of flame onto their shot glasses, gulping down the burning beverage in perfect unison. People clapped and whistled, amused by a simple and effortless task performed by the fire-breathing duo.

Killer soon appeared by Kid's side, his mug of alcohol and bendy straw in tow. "For someone who makes poor choices in women for himself, I have to say you picked a winner for Heat."

Kid only grunted, taking a swig from his bottle of rum.

Killer continued. "You've been watching them all night. The new girl in particular."

Kid's bottle stopped inches away from his dark lips, not too fond of the implication behind Killer's words. "Whatchya tryin' to say? I got it for the new girl?"

"Perhaps."

Kid snorted. "What makes you think something dumb like that?"

Killer casually shrugged and leaned his back on the ship's railing, taking a long sip from the bendy straw that poked into one of the holes in his mask. He sighed softly in satisfaction as he swallowed the liquid before answering.

"Since when do you ever lend your coat to random broads?"

Kid tensed the slightest bit, which could have safely gone unnoticed if Killer hadn't been anticipating some kind of reaction from his stubborn captain.

"Heh, exactly." Killer teased before leaving to join another group.

Kid only rolled his shoulder to crack his neck, putting his nonchalance on display. Killer could assume what he wanted; he wasn't in the mood to prove how wrong his first mate was. Maybe in another pointless quarrel but not now, it would have ruined his buzz.

Although Kid's tough man-hide was resilient to the cool breeze that swept by the deck, his body still craved the weight of his favorite coat and looked over to see the garment wrapped snuggly around Ember as she swapped stories with Heat and the others.

He was tempted to go retrieve it from her, but then remembered something very important.

She was still half naked underneath.


End file.
